1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for detecting ophthalmic diseases in the camera oculi of a patient's eye, and more particularly to an apparatus for detecting ophthalmic diseases in which laser light is irradiated via an optical system at one spot in the camera oculi of the patient's eye and the laser light scattered therefrom is analyzed to measure the protein concentration for ophthalmic disease detection in the camera oculi.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The camera oculi is comprised of the camera oculi anterior (anterior chamber) and the camera oculi posterior (posterior chamber). The camera oculi anterior is defined by a space surrounded by the rear surface of the cornea, a part of ciliary body, iris, and the front surface of the crystalline lens, while the camera oculi posterior is defined by a space surrounded by the rear surface of the iris, inner surface of the ciliary body, and front surface of the crystalline lens. The camera oculi is filled with transparent humor aqueous, which has chemical and physical characteristics different from lymphatic liquid and has a close relation with the metabolism of the cornea or crystalline lens. The humor aqueous contains proteins the amount of increases and which causes the camera oculi to be turbid when the eye becomes inflammed.
In this respect, the measurement of protein concentration in the camera oculi of the patient's eye is of great importance in determining whether the camera oculi is inflammed, that is, whether a blood-aqueous barrier exists or not.
To measure the protein concentration in the camera oculi, a slit lamp microscope is very often used to determlne the turbidity by grading via naked eyes. This is, however, disadvantageous because the judgement depends upon the person who performs the measurement.
On the other hand, a photographic measuring method has been developed to make a quantitative measurement of the protein concentration. This method is, however, too complicated to analyze, thus very difficult to apply in a clinical examination.